Driving mechanism



Dec. 21, 1943. 2,337,330

Z. J. JULIN DRIVING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 25, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ZSnoentor I. Gttomegs ea. 21, 1943. z. JULIN 2,337,330

DRIVING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 25, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zmventor Dec. 21, 1943. 2. J. JULIN DRIVING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 25, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 3nnenfor ZEN/PH t7." zfuu/v Patented Dec. 21, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRIVING MECHANISM Zeniph J. Julin, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August 25, 1942, Serial No. 455,995

13 Claims. 74-29) This invention relates to mechanism for translatin a reciprocating movement into a continuous rotary movement constantly in the same direction, but, if desired, the translation may be reversed-that is to say, from a rotary motion of a shaft to a reciprocating motion of a machine part.

While there are many situations in which this improvement can be utilized, in the present specification, the invention is described as applied to a motor having power cylinders with reciprocating pistons, and the mechan sm illustrated provides means for translating the reciprocating motion of the pistons into acontinuous rotation of the driven shaft constantly in' one direction.

The ordinary means for translating a reciprocating movement into a rotary motion'of a shaft involves the use of a crank on a shaft and a connecting rod attached to the shaft at one end and attached to the reciprocating part of the piston at the other end. One of the objections to the use of a crank for transmitting the power to the shaft is that in most motors operating with fluid pressure the fluid exerts its maximum pressurewhen the piston is at the end of its stroke and moving away from the adjacent cylinder head. At this instant, the crank is nearly on dead center and hence the effective crank arm is practically nothing at the start of the stroke, and, although it gradually increases to- .ward mid-stroke, as this occurs the pressure 'upon the piston is-gradually falling. This objection is particularly aggravated in internal explosion engines, such as ordinary four-cycle engines, because when the explosion occurs and the maximum pressure is developed the crank is practically'on dead center.

with it is utilized to impart an accelerating force to the driven shaft.

In its preferred embodiment, the invention involves the use of a drivingpinion which is located between two segmental gear-wheels presenting two toothed segments that mesh .with the pinion. The two segmental gear-wheels'are mainta ned in motion constantly in the same direction; that is to say, each segmental gear-wheel constantly rotates in one direction. The pinion meshes alternately with the segments of the two segmental-gear-wheels, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide a construction which will effect the disengagement of the pinion from its mesh with one of the segments when the drive of the pinion to the other segment commences.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel parts and combinations of parts to be described hereinafter, or which contribute to produce an efficient driving mechanism.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide mechanism for translating the reciprocating motion "into a rotary motion of a driven shaft constantly rotating in the same direction; particularly to provide simple means for utilizing the force exerted by reciprocating pistons in such a way that the driving force exerted by them will be transmitted to the driven shaft with a constant crank arm, as it were; that is to say, means is provided for developing torque in a shaft driven by the reciprocating pistons in such a way that virtually a crank arm of constant radius is maintained.

A further object of the invention is the provision .of means for resisting and stopping the motion of the reciprocating parts at the end of their out-stroke; also to provide for accomplishing this efiect in such a way that the momentum of the piston and associated parts that move A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the following specification, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section taken substantially in a vertical plane passing through the axis of the driven shaft, certain parts in this plane, however, being shown in elevation.

Figure 2 is a plane on a reduced scale of the cylinder block and some associated parts, with the engine cover removed so as to illustrate the cylinder and valve arrangement.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken about on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken about on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, and particularly illustrating the means for absorbing the momentum of the piston and associated parts at the end of their out stroke, and showing the means for utilizing the forcedeveloped in doing this to accelerate the driven shaft.

Figure 5 is a section taken about on the line 5--5 of Figure 1. This view illustrates the relation of the driving pinion to the two segmental gears that it meshes with alternately and each of which it drives in the same direction.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating the relationship of the parts associated with the movable tooth at the end of the drive to a segmental gear-wheel carryingv it. This view shows the tooth about to be released by the cam,

' in pairs.

'an upright position so as so that it can be moved down out of the way when the driving pinion reverses its direction rotation. Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6, but showing these parts in a later phase of their operation and after the reversal of the pinion has occurred. In this phase the tooth 20 is shown moving to the I left and out of the path of the teeth of the driving pinion l3.

Referring more particularly to the parts in the present specification, I, 2, 3, and 4 indicate the power cylinders in the cylinder block 5. As illustrated in Figure 3, these power cylinders operate These cylinders are provided, respectively, with reciprocating pistons 5 and 1, to

which racks 8 and 3 are attached, said racks having teeth on their adjacent faces to mesh with the opposite sides of a pinion ID that is rigidly mounted on a driving shaft II. The ends of this driving shaft H are mounted in the engine hous- ,ing l2, and one end of the shaft is provided with a driving pinion l3. As the piston 6 descends, of course, the piston l rises in its cylinder, and as the pistons reciprocate the driving pinion I3 is alternately rotated in opposite directions. The means for translating this alternate rotation into a constant rotation in one direction involves the use of two segmental gear-wheels I4 and I5 (see Figures 1 and 5). The upper gear M has projecting teeth extending around a portion of its periphery so as to form a segment I6, and the remaining portion of the periphery of this gearwheel is blank; that is to say, it presents a depressed peripheral edge I! that is on a radius located at or about the root of the teeth 01 the segment. The segmental gear [5 is constructed similar to this; that is to say, it has a. similar segment I 8 of projecting teeth extending on a portion of its periphery and also a depressed peripheral edge l9 located at or within the root circle of this gear. In the operation of the mechanism, these segments are driven alternately by the teeth of the driving pinion l3. In Figure 5 this gearing is illustrated just at the termination of the drive to the upper segmental gear-wheel I4 and just before the instant when the drive of the driving-pinion l3 reverses to the anti-clockwise direction, indicated by the arrow shown in dotted lines. In order to enable the teeth of the pinion l3 to become released from the teeth of the segment H5 at this moment, the last tooth of the segment I6 is movably attached to the body of the gear-wheel l4. This tooth normally occupies tooth of the segment Hi. This tooth 20 is preferably pivotally mounted on the body of the gearwheel l4 by means of a pivotal connection 2|, and I prefer to provide a coil spring 22 disposed around the axis of this pivotal connection and connected with the hub 23 of the tooth so as to normally hold this tooth in its operating position and against a stop shoulder 24. (see Figure 7).

In order to prevent an accident in case this spring 22 should break, I prefer to provide other means for maintaining the last tooth or dog 20 in this extended position during the period of rotation of the gear-wheel l4 during which the pinion I3 is driving this gear-wheel. For this purpose, I provide a fixed cam 25 which is mounted on the wall 26 of the housing (see Figure 1), and

the hub 23 of the movable tooth 20 has an outwardly projecting finger 21 that rides along the outer face of this cam, eventually arriving at the to operate as a regular end 28 of this cam, at which point the cam will permit the tooth 20 to swing inwardly in the direction of the arrow in Figure 7. Just as the tinger 27 passes the end 28 of the cam, the pinion l3 reverses its direction of motion, and when this occurs the teeth of this pinion push the tooth 20 to one side. As the rotation of the gear-wheel l4 continues, the blank face I! passes along adjacent to the ends of the teeth of the pinion, but with sufficient clearance to prevent the same from contactingv with the pinions teeth. This mode of operation is fully illustrated in Figures 6 and 7.

The gear-wheel I5 is provided with a pivoted tooth 29, similar t the tooth 20 just described, and mounted in the same way with its own spring, similar to the spring 22, and with its own radially projecting finger 30 to cooperate with its own cam 31. This tooth 23 will operate in the manner just described when the tooth 29 comes into engagement with the teeth of the pinion I3 and when the next reversal of motion of the pinion I 3 occurs.

The two segmental gear-wheels l4 and [5 are connected for rotation in synchronism and, of course, they rotate at the same speed. For this purpose, each of these gear-wheels is connected rigidly to a gear-wheel 32, and these two gearwheels 32 mesh together. The lower gear-wheel 32 is rigid on the driven shaft 33, which is mounted for rotation in suitable bearings in the engine housing.

In addition to the opposite pairs of cylinders I and 2, the pistons of which move in opposite directions at the same time, the pistons are connected together in pairs in another way, as illustrated'in Figure 1. "In other words, there is a pair of cylinders located on each side of the shaft ll, each pair of cylinders cooperating with its own pinion I0 on this shaft.

A means will now be described for absorbing the momentum of each of these pairs of piston's as they arrive at the lower end of their downstroke. For this purpose, the backs of the racks 8 and the backs of the racks 9 are provided with rigid cross-heads 34, respectively, the middle portions of which are formed into guide sleeves 35 guided on guides 36, respectively. Each of these guides 36 is in the form of a round bar that extends down to the engine base plate 31, in which it is stepped in a socket 38. At this point,a reduced neck 39 is formed on the guide bar 36, which operates as a shaft or arbor for a rotary cam 40. This cam is in the form of a wheel having two upwardly projecting diametrically disposed cam horns 4 I. These horns present cam faces 42 extending up from a rudimentary socket 43 at each side of the wheel. There is, of course, a cam wheel 40 corresponding to each 01. these pairs of pistons, and these cam wheels are geared up to the driven shaft 33 so-that they rotate in synchronism with the shaft 33. For'this purpose, the lower portion of each cam wheel 40 is formed into a gear-wheel 44 that meshes with an idler pinion 45 driven by gear-wheel 46 on the lower end of a vertical countershaft 41, driven by bevelled gears 48a and 48b from the shaft 33. When the engine is in operation, as each crosshead 34 descends, its under side strikes a pair of diametrically opposed cam faces 42 of the cam wheel 4| located on the rear sides of the horns with respect to their direction of rotation. This engagement of the cross-heads with these cam faces, of course, resists the downward movement of the cross-heads and eventually stops their downward movement. At the same time, the absorbing of the momentum of the cross-heads; racks, and attached pistons develops a torque force on the cam wheels to accelerate their rotation in the driving direction.

In order to assist'in absorbing the momentum of the cross-heads and to assist in starting them up again after-they have reached the bottom of their stroke, I prefer to provide cushioning means associated with each guide bar 36. This cushioning means in the present instance consists of a stout helical spring 49, the lower end of which is housed in a spring socket 50 on the axis of the cam wheels and the upper end of which supports a sliding collar 5| on the guide bar 36. When this collar 5| is struck by the sleeve 35 of its corresponding cross-head, it will be moved down the bar 36 and will, of course, compress the spring 49. This compression built up in the spring will be greatly increased at the end of the stroke where the force of the spring will exert itself to accelerate the cross-head 34 in an upper direction.

The upper ends of the racks 9 operate as piston rods, and I prefer not to attach them rigidly to their pistons, but to employ a wrist pin 52 at this point similar in construction to the ordinary wrist pin that is employed for connecting an ordinary connecting rod to such a piston.

In the power cylinder engine, such as illustrated, the valves 53 and the ignition at the spark plugs 54 would be controlled in such a waythat the cylinders would fire, as in an ordinary four-cycle engine. In other Words, astwo pistons on the same side of the shaft are descending,.one of the pistons would be drawing in the charge while the other cylinder would be exploding its charge. On the up-stroke of these two pistons, the charge will be compressed in one of them while the other one will be exhausting.

In the design of the segment teeth and their movable teeth and 29, the pitch of the teeth should be sufficient to insure that when the reversal of the drive occurs the regular teeth of the segment that have just been driven by the pinion will have moved out of the path of the teeth of the pinion so as to insure that the pinion can not re-engage the segment from which it has just become released.

The first tooth of each of the segments l6 and I8 should be cut away to an inclined. face lea and I811 respectively for clearance purposes so as to prevent this first tooth from meshing into the pinion at the wrong place.

The ratios of the pinions I0, l3 and i5, should be such that the stroke of the pistons is sub-" stantially equal to the diameter of the gear I5. By selecting the proper ratio for the diameter of pinions l0 and I3, the piston stroke may be made as small or as large as desired.

The cam wheels 40 should rotate at exactly the same speed as the shaft 33, and consequently the bevel gears 48a and 482) should be of the same diameter.

The springs 49 prevent the pistons from ever stopping at the end of their stroke when the engine-is throttled down to stop and assure that the pinions ID will never turn backward when they should be turning forward.

Many other embodiments of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit a of the invention.

What I claim is: I

1. In mechanism of the kind described, the combination of a driving-shaft, means for driving the same alternately in difierent directions, a driving-pinion on said shaft, a segmental geardriven in synchronized rotation with the first-- named segmental gear-wheel, also having a blank portion and a projecting toothed segment extending around a portion of its periphery, so that its segment meshes with the pinion while the pinion is rotating in the other direction, means associated with the toothed segments of the gear wheels for effecting disengagement of the, pinion from each of said segments when the other segment commences to mesh with the said pinion; a driven shaft, and means driven by the said gear wheels for driving the driven-shaft continuously in one direction.

2, In mechanism of the kind described, the combination of a driving-shaft, means for driving the same alternately in different directions, a driving-pinion on said shaft, a segmental gearwheel having a blank part throughout a portion of its periphery and having a toothed segment projecting beyond the path of the periphery of the blank part throughout another portion of the periphery, and meshing with the pinion while it is rotating in one direction, a second gear-wheel driven in synchronized rotation with the firstnamed gear-wheel, also having a blank portion and a projecting toothed segment, extending around a portion of its periphery and meshing with the pinion while the pinion isrotating in the other direction, the last tooth of each of said segments to be in engagement with the pinion when the same is driving that gear-wheel consisting of a pivoted tooth mounted on the body of the gear- Wheel, and operating upon reversal of the direction of drive of the pinion, to rotate on its pivot and thereb -effect disengagement of the pinion from that toothed segment so as to permit the other segment to engage the pinion and continue the drive; a driven shaft, and means driven by the said gear-wheels for driving the driven shaft continuously in one direction.

3. In mechanismof the kind described, the combination of a driving-shaft, means for driving the same alternately in diiierent directions, a driving-pinion on said shaft, a segmental gear- Wheel having a blank part throughout a'portion ofits periphery and having a toothed segment projecting beyond the path of the, periphery of the blank part throughout another portion of the periphery, and meshing with the. pinion while it is rotating in one direction, a second gear-wheel driven in synchronized rotation with the firstnamed gear-wheel, also having a blank portion and a projecting toothed segment, extending around a portion of its periphery and meshing mental gear-wheel body and operating upon reversal of the direction of drive of the pinion, to move inwardly into a depressed position to disengage itself and its segment from the pinion,

thereby permitting the other segment to continue the drive when the pinion commences to mesh with the other segment; a driven shaft, and means driven by the said segmental gear-wheels U for driving the driven shaft continuously in one direction.

4. In mechanism of the kind described, the combination of a driving-shaft, means for driving the same alternately in different directions, a, driving-pinion on said shaft, a segmental gearwheel having a blank part throughout a portion of its periphery and having a toothed segment projecting beyond the path of the periphery of the blank part throughout another portion of the periphery, and'meshing with the pinion while it is rotating in one direction, a second gear-wheel driven in synchronized rotation with the firstnamedgear-wheel, also having a blank portion and a projecting toothed segment, extending around a portion of its periphery and meshing with the pinion while the pinion is rotating in the other direction, the last tooth of each of said segments to be in engagement with the pinion when the same is driving that gear-wheel, con'- sisting of a pivoted tooth mounted on the body of each segmental gear-wheel, resilient means normally helding each pivoted tooth in an upright operative position, each pivoted tooth operating upon reversal of'the direction of drive of the pinion, to rotate on its pivot into a depressed, position, and thereby effect disengagement of itself and its segment from the pinion, thereby permitting the other segment to continue to drive when the pinion commences to mesh with, the other segment: a driven shaft, and means driven by the said gear-wheels for imparting their rotation to the driven shaft con-.

tinuously in one directio 5; in mechanism of the kind described, the conibinationof a driving-shaft, a pinion mounted onthe driving-shaft, a pair of racks mounted one on each side of the pinion and meshing with the same, means for reciprocating the racks to drive the driving-shaft alternately in opposite directions,.a driving-pinion on said driving-shaft, a

- segmental'gear-wheel having a blank portion throughout a portion of its periphery and a toothed segmentthroughout another portion of its periphery projectingbeyond the path of the periphery ,of the blank portion, said segment meshing with the last-named pinion while it is rotating in onedirection; a second gear-wheel in synchronized rotationwith the first-named segmental gear wheel having a blank portion, and a rojectingtoothedsegment extending around a portion of its "periphery and meshing with the last-named pinionwhile the same is rotating in the other direction. the-last tooth of each segment with respect to fthe direction of rotation being pivoted and operating. upon reversal of the direction of driveof thedriving-pinion, to rotate on its pivot and thereby disengage itself and its segment from" the driving-pinion so as to permit the other segment to continue the drive when the driving-pinion commences to mesh with the other segment; a driven shaft, and means driven by the said gear-wheels for driving the driven shaft continuously in one direction.

6. In mechanism of the kind described, the combination of a pair of power cylinders, a pis-' ton in each cylinder, a rack reciprocated by each piston, a pinion,,located between the racks and rotated alternately by the same in opposite directions, a driving-pinion on said shaft, a driven shaft, means cooperating with said driving-pinion for driving the driven shaft continuously in one direction, rotatable means for absorbing the momentum of each rack and piston and stopping the same at the end of their stroke, and means associated with the last-named means for imparting a torque impulse from said rotatable means to the driven shaft. 4

piston, a pinion, located between the racks and rotated alternately by the same in, opposite directions, a driving-pinion on said shaft, a driven shaft, means cooperating with said driving-pinion for driving the driven shaft continuously in one direction, a rotatable cam-wheel, means moving with the rack for engaging the cam-wheel and developing torque therein, said cam-wheel operating to absorb the momentum of the rack and piston and stop the same at the end of their stroke; and means for transmitting the said de-- veloped torque to the driven shaft.

8. In mechanism of the kind described, the combination of a pair of power cylinders, a piston in each cylinder, a rack reciprocated by each piston, a piniomlocated between the racks and rotated alternately by the same in opposite directions, a driving-pinion on said shaft, a driven shaft, means cooperating with said driving-pinion for driving the driven shaft continuously in one direction, a cross-head moving in unison with the rack and piston, a cam-wheel having a pair of cam faces in a position to be engaged by the cross-head as the piston and rack approach the end of their stroke, means connecting the camwheel to the driven shaft to synchronize the rotation of the cam-wheel with the driven shaft, and so that the impact of the advancing crosshead on the said cam faces develops torque therein urging the same forward in the driving direction.

9. A mechanism constructed as described in claim 8, in which a resilient cushion is provided for absorbing the momentum of the piston and rack, and for preventing the pinion from ever rolling backwards at the end of the stroke.

10. In mechanism of the kind described'for Y wheel on each of the shafts, of equal diameter meshing together so as to rotate said shafts continuously in synchronism in opposite directions, a segmental gear-wheel mounted to rotate on the axis of each of said shafts, having a segment of projecting teeth extending substantially half-way around the periphery and hav-' ing a depressed blank portion substantially filling the remainder of the periphery of the segmental gear wheel, a driving-pinion on the driving-shaft located between the two synchronized shafts meshing with the teeth of said segments alternately, the last tooth of each of said segments with respect to the direction of rotation having a pivot connection'to the-body of its segmental gear, said segmental gears being oriented with respect to each other so that at the instant of reversal of direction of the driving-pinion one of said segments passes out of engagement with the pinion, and the other segment passes into engagement with the pinion, the said pivoted teeth operating to. swing out of engagement with the teeth of the pinion as the reversal of direction of rotation of the pinion occurs, so as to disconnect the teeth of the segment that is just completing its driven movement, as the pinion commences to make engagement with the teeth of the other segment.

11. In'mechanism of the kind described, the combination of a driving-shaft, means for driving the same alternately in different directions, a driving pinion on said shaft, a segmental gear-wheel having a blank portion throughout a portion of its periphery and having a toothed segment projecting beyond the path of the periphery of the blankportion throughout another portion of the periphery of the gearwheel, and meshing with the pinion while it is rotating in one direction, a second segmental gear-wheel driven in synchronized rotation with the first named segmental gear-wheel, also having a b1"nk portion and a projecting toothed segment extending around a portion of its periphery, so that its segment meshes with the pinion while the pinion is rotating in the other direction, means mounted -on each of said gears associated with the toothed segments of the gear-wheels for effecting disengagement of the pinion from each of said segments when the other segment commences to mesh with the said pinion; a driven shaft, and means driven by the said gear-wheels for driving the driven shaft continuously in one direction.

the kind described, the

12. In mechanism of combination of a power cylinder, a piston with a rack reciprocated thereby, a shaft, a gear meshing with the rack for driving the shaft, rotary means mounted for rotation on an axis extending longitudinally with the axis of' the cylinder for arresting the rack at the end of the stroke of the piston, rotated by the rack when arrested, and means for imparting the torque developed in said rotary means to the said shaft.

13. In mechanism of the kind described, the combination of a power cylinder, a piston with a rack reciprocated thereby, a-shaft, a gear meshing with the rack for driving the shaft, rotary means for arresting the rack at the end of a stroke of the piston, including a cam, means moving'with the rack for engaging the cam to rotate said rotary means and develop torque therein when the movement of the rack is arrested, and means for imparting the said torque to said shaft. 7

' ZENIPH J. JUIJN. 

